title: Isolation and characterization of mycoplasma virus L3 temperature-sensitive mutants.
abstract: Mycoplasma virus L3 virions are morphologically similar to coliphage T7, contain linear double-stranded DNA of about 39 kilobase pairs, and produce a nonlytic cytocidal infection in Acholeplasma laidlawii host cells. Following nitrous acid mutagenesis, ninety-eight L3 temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants were isolated from a total of 57,000 plaque-forming units (PFU), using 37 degrees C as the permissive temperature and 41 degrees C as the nonpermissive temperature, with reversion frequencies of 10(-5) to 10(-8). Complementation tests allowed fifty-seven of the L3 ts mutants to be placed into twenty-one complementation groups. In mixed infections, recombination frequencies between mutants in different complementation groups were 10(-2) to less than 10(-6). Studies of protein synthesis in L3-infected cells showed synthesis of about twenty virus-specific proteins, including ten L3 virion proteins. After infection with L3 ts mutants from each complementation group, several different patterns of cell- and virus-specific protein synthesis were observed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, New York 14642.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haberer
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Haberer
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Cadden
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maniloff
mesh_terms: D000128:Acholeplasma laidlawii; D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002460:Cell Line; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D016296:Mutagenesis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014771:Virion / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins